Friday, July 13, 2007

Press Release

Bicycle commuter specialist Kent Peterson is on a pedal-powered mission to check on the status of bicycle facilities around the state. Peterson, who combines his love of long-distance cycling with a job as the commute-program director at the Bicycle Alliance of Washington, will rack up more than 1100 miles on a multi-county loop.

Peterson sets off July 14 on a two-week odyssey that includes visits to Port Townsend, Bellingham, Spokane, Walla Walla and Vancouver. In addition to long days on his bike saddle, Peterson has scheduled visits to bicycle advocates in communities he'll pedal through. Some will be joining him on the road to talk to him first-hand about the status of cycling in their own communities.

“I want to get a sense of what it's like to cycle in a various parts of the state - cities, small towns and little country roads. I figure the people who can give me the best information about these places are the folks who live and ride there every day so I'll be spending a lot of time chatting with local cyclists.” Peterson says. “The issues that might come up in a place like Spokane are very different from those in rural areas like the Methow Valley.”

The information that Peterson collects on his cross-state journey will be used by the Bicycle Alliance of Washington, a Seattle-based group that represents the interests of bicyclists all over Washington. The group lobbies law-makers in Olympia to ensure that transportation plans include provisions for bicycles and addresses safety issues.

"As a state-wide group, it's really important that we know what kinds of problems local communities are dealing with," says Bicycle Alliance executive director Gordon Black. "An issue that is a barrier to bicycling in one city might well have been satisfactorily solved in another community. Kent's trip will allow us to gather information and at the same time strengthen our connections with groups all over the state."

Kent Peterson will be providing the Bicycle Alliance with updates from the road via phone calls, digital photos and blog entries. His trip progress can be followed at the Bicycle Alliance website at: http://www.bicyclealliance.org/

Peterson’s odyssey around the state is in keeping with his reputation as a long-distance bicyclist. He has competed in several ultra-distance cycling events and currently holds the record for completing the Canada-Mexico Great Divide Mountain Bike Race on a single-speed bike. He took 22 days 3 hours and 9 minutes to cover the 2490 miles.

Kent Peterson’s itinerary

Sat. 7/14/2007 -- Port Townsend

Sun. 7/15/2007 -- Bellingham

Mon. 7/16/2007 -- Hwy 20

Tue. 7/17/2007 -- Winthrop

Wed. 7/18/2007 -- Spokane

Thu. 7/19/2007 -- Spokane / Cheney

Fri. 7/20/2007 -- Walla Walla

Sat. 7/21/2007 -- Richland/Pasco/Kennewick

Sun. 7/22/2007 -- Yakima

Mon. 7/23/2007 -- Mt. St. Helens

Tue. 7/24/2007 -- Vancouver/Portland

Wed. 7/25/2007 -- Vancouver/Portland

Thu. 7/26/2007 -- Olympia

Fri. 7/27/2007 -- Tacoma

Sat. 7/28/2007 -- Seattle/Issaquah

Background:The Bicycle Alliance of Washington is a registered 501 c 3 not-for-profit dedicated to improving conditions and access for all bicyclists.

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